2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Review
2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Review





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Used Sonata Plug-in Hybrid for sale
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Edmunds' Expert Review

byKurt Niebuhr
Vehicle Test Editor
Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of Edmunds' high-performance test drivers.Pros
- Spacious interior with comfortable front seats
- User-friendly infotainment interface
Cons
- Low fuel-efficiency figures for the class
- Not as much cargo space as hatchback competitors
- Grabby brake-pedal feel can make it hard to stop smoothly
What's new
- The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid is unchanged for 2019
- Part of the first Sonata Plug-in Hybrid generation introduced for 2016
When stepping up from a standard hybrid to a plug-in hybrid, exceptional fuel economy and all-electric range become the priorities. Unfortunately, the 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid doesn't stand out in these categories. Its 28 miles of all-electric range is certainly decent, but other plug-ins can go more than 50 miles on electric power before switching to gas. And once you're primarily relying on the Sonata's gas engine, you'll typically be getting around 39 mpg, according to the EPA. The Prius Prime, in comparison, gets 54 mpg.
Where the Sonata redeems itself is with its fairly conventional styling, both inside and out, and user-friendly interior. It comes with a fair amount of standard equipment as well as Hyundai's lengthy warranty coverage. But that amount of normality might not be enough to sway buyers looking for the best the plug-in hybrid market has to offer in 2019.
Edmunds' Expert Rating
Driving
The plug-in accelerates to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, which is average for a hybrid sedan. We like the six-speed automatic transmission since it provides a more traditional shifting experience than a CVT automatic. Less impressive is the grabby feel of its brake pedal.
Comfort
The plug-in hybrid's ride is smooth on all manner of pavement, and the cabin is quiet at highway speeds. This car will get you to your destination without wearing you out. It's not exciting to drive, certainly, but the Sonata Hybrid heads where you point it.
Interior
The plug-in hybrid's cabin is roomy, comfortable and remarkably quiet. The seats are supportive and nicely padded. There's generally plenty of head-, legroom and shoulder room, but backseat headroom is nevertheless tighter than in the hybrid's competitors.
Utility
The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid's trunk is smaller because of the larger battery pack, leaving just 9.9 cubic feet of cargo room compared to the Sonata Hybrid's 13.3 cubic feet. The Honda Clarity and the Toyota Prius Prime also have considerably larger trunks.
Technology
Both the 7- and 8-inch touchscreens have crisp graphics and straightforward menus. But some drivers might find that it's a bit of a stretch to reach the screen comfortably. A unique gauge cluster displaying various hybrid system readouts is one of the few visible indicators that you're driving a gas-electric car.
Which Sonata Plug-in Hybrid does Edmunds recommend?
Though it's hard to argue with the base trim level's list of standard features, we like the Limited for its extra equipment. These include a panoramic sunroof, upscale leather interior and more driver aids such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.
2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid models
The 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid is a midsize family sedan offered in two trim levels: base and Limited. Under the hood is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor. Total system output is 202 horsepower, which is delivered to the front wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission. It has an EPA-estimated EV range of 28 miles on a full charge.
Standard features for the base trim include 17-inch wheels, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, a hands-free trunklid, keyless ignition and entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
You also get a rearview camera, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning systems, Hyundai's Blue Link emergency communications, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration, two USB ports, a 7-inch touchscreen, and a seven-speaker sound system with satellite radio.
If you are looking for more, though, step up to the Limited. You'll get adaptive LED headlights, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a power front passenger seat, a heated steering wheel, driver-seat memory functions, a wireless charging pad, an 8-inch touchscreen, a navigation system, and an upgraded nine-speaker Infinity sound system. The Limited also comes with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, a drowsy driver warning system, and automatic high beams.

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Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid.
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
Does Jason Cabot really own a 2019 Sonata Plug In?
Bud Allen,02/16/2020
4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
I bought a 2019 Sonata Plug In yesterday. Hyundai is offering some good incentives now, and my Standard model was had for $28,500. I am coming out of owning a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer, which my family had outgrown. We needed a bigger back seat, and when I saw the price incentives I was motivated to upgrade.
This is a very comfortable car, and has a nice compliment of features. At the … price I paid, there really isn't any competition. Nobody offers a full size plug in hybrid for this price. I live close to the center of my city and close to freeway access that takes me in any direction, so when I laid out a radius from my house I realized that the vast majority of the driving that I do is well within the 28 mile all electric range of this car. The back seat has ample legroom which was a large factor in my purchase. The drivers area is spacious and very comfortable. The infotainment screen is really nice. Here is what motivated me to write this review:
The two star review from Jason Cabot on this site has some errors. The car does have Apple CarPlay, which Mr. Cabot says it does not. The car comes with a 110 volt charger, which Mr. Cabot says it does not. He states that the car is "extremely loud" when accelerating, when in fact it is astonishingly quiet. The quiet ride really makes one feel they are in a much more expensive car. He states that the Sonata plug in is "...just not competitive" regarding the all electric range of the vehicle. My question is "What competition?" There simply are no full size sedan plug in hybrids in this price range.
The 2019 Sonata Plug In Hybrid is worth your consideration. All that said, the trunk is quite small for a vehicle this size, so Jason, you are right on the money with that one.
5 out of 5 stars
Nice surprise! 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug in hybrid.
LorenzoS97070,04/05/2020
4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
If you turn off the "ECO" mode, the car drives great! I have the SE, took delivery on Jan 25 2020. I "plug in" every night when I get home. The 28 miles on electric mode work well for me as my office is around 12 miles from home. Sometimes I turn on the Hybrid mode while cruising on the interstate and save the EV for city driving.., works well. The car is good in Hybrid mode too, lots of … power, quiet, smooth, Apple car play works well as does everything else like heated seats and sound system etc.. even plays my old iPod if I plug it in. Handling is fine and the ride is very comfortable. I have 3200 miles on it so far and I really enjoy it. Last tank of gas (13.2 gal) gave me 1003 miles..., I know, unheard of right?
Update: I have done only 15k miles to date. All of the above still applies, averaging 1200 miles between fill ups again due to the proximity of my office (seldom need to use HEV) . Comfortable, quiet great audio and apple car play works well. Happy.
2 out of 5 stars
Nice build quality with many disappointing aspects
Jason Cabot,04/06/2019
Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
There is a lot to like about the car but also many issues holding it back. The things to like are the same as in the regular Sonata sedan so I won’t go into them much (lots of passenger room, stylish exterior, nice technology options, etc.) Now the downsides. First, the all-electric range is very poor at 28. That’s just not competitive for a 2019 PHEV. The gas mileage at 39 combined EPA … MPG is much worse than the non-plug-in Sonata hybrid (probably because the car is much heavier), and in my own driving, I’m only getting about ~30 highway mpg (less in the city) which is nowhere near the advertised EPA MPG — frankly, I’m considering suing Hyundai over this issue because the advertised EPA estimate is so unrealistic. The cargo space is absolutely abysmal. The car is huge and thus difficult to park, but has a tiny trunk and barely any cargo space (since much of the space between the trunk and the passenger area is occupied by the battery). The trunk is thus much smaller than in the regular Sonata. The lane keeping assist is, simply put, TERRIBLE. The car doesn’t keep lanes well in active mode and actively fights the driver, and even in standard mode is frustrating. I’ve disabled it entirely. Perhaps my biggest complaint is the abysmal lack of torque. This is a heavy car and really lacks accelerating power. For supposedly having ~200hp, this car really doesn’t feel like it. It is very slow to accelerate, even out of Eco mode. And when the engine downshifts (which it does very frequently, especially with cruise control since the engine is so underpowered in relation to the weight of the car), it is extremely loud and the gas mileage drops to around ~10-15 mpg. The car corners poorly, even with lane keeping assist disabled. It lacks a HUD, which at this price it should really have. It also lacks a 110V power plug, which many cars in this price range offer, and wireless Apple CarPlay is nowhere to be found. No sunroof option is available, even though the non-plug-in hybrid and non-hybrid versions have available sunroofs?? Sedans are dying and the Sonata PHEV shows why. To add to all these disappointments, the car has a $40K MSRP (plus taxes and dealer fees, which can be significant depending on state). There’s a $1500 Hyundai rebate right now, and then there are the federal and potentially state rebates, but I think something like the Kona EV is a much better car, and not much more expensive (in fact, some trims are cheaper). For that, you get ~240 miles of EV range, a heads up display and sunroof on some models, much larger federal and state tax rebates, wayyy more torque (much lighter car since no internal combustion engine), wayyy more cargo space, a much more fun car to drive, a car that’s much easier to park while still having plenty of interior room, much cheaper maintenance (since no internal combustion engine so no oil changes etc.) and a car that is much cheaper to operate and more environmentally friendly (way better eMPG and no abysmal gas MPG like with the Sonata PHEV). I regret buying this instead of the Kona EV (which was sold out everywhere at the time of my purchase). I can’t comment on reliability since it’s a new car, but the warranty is definitely nice and gives me peace of mind. Still, at $40K plus tax, I would take a hard pass on the Sonata PHEV for the reasons described above. (Resale value is also likely to be quite poor because used cars are not eligible for the ~$5000+ in federal and state rebates.) Even at $30K for the limited trim, I wouldn’t consider this car. The Sonata may be a good car and the Sonata Hybrid may be a good hybrid (I wouldn’t know), but the Sonata plug-in-hybrid is just not.
5 out of 5 stars
Four Months In So Far So Good
Bob E.,10/03/2020
Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A)
I just sold my 2011 Sonata Hybrid and decided to replace it with a 2019 Sonata PHEV Limited. I'd like to get an electric car eventually. But range anxiety made the plug in hybrid a better choice for me.
Hyundai claims a 28 mile range on the traction battery before the car switches to hybrid mode. If you're running the AC that becomes 26 miles of range. However, I have exceeded this … range every single time. I generally leave early when I'm going somewhere so there is no pressure to speed or drive aggressively. Being an experienced hybrid driver I know to accelerate smoothly and decelerate smoothly. Do this and you will greatly increase your range. Why the big rush to get to a red light or tailgate the person in front of you when it turns green?
The Limited has heated and cooled front seats. This allows me to leave the heat/AC off at times when I may have turned them on in the past. This increases electric range. The car defaults to electric mode on startup. If I know that I am going to exceed the 28 mile range of the battery I manually switch to hybrid mode when I'm cruising and I switch back to electric for stop and go situations and uphill and on ramp situations. Those are the times that your gas engine gets the worst economy. So by doing this I get infinite MPG compared to 15-20 MPG during those times.
I bought this car in Massachusetts and drove it to my South Carolina house. Hyundai doesn't sell the PHEV in the south. I averaged 48 MPG on the highway while cruising mostly between 65 and 75 MPH. (If you exceed 75 MPH the car will run exclusively on gasoline. At or below that and it will switch between gas and electric.)
That 1,000 mile drive was nearly fatigue free thanks to all of the driver assist features. If you love to drive on cruise control, like I do, nothing is more frustrating than getting behind someone who is constantly speeding up and slowing down. But the Sonata's adaptive cruise control makes that frustration a thing of the past. It adjusts automatically to stay a pre-set distance (that you choose) behind the vehicle you're following. The lane keep assist is great for long drives where you might get distracted. It will gently, or aggressively depending on your settings, keep you in your lane. Blind spot detection is a nice little bonus even though I have always looked over my shoulder when changing lanes, and I'm too old to break the habit. The automatic high beams worked perfectly while driving overnight. In summary, the driver assist features automatically do a lot of the little things that you would constantly do on a long drive which greatly reduces fatigue.
The seats are very comfortable with electronic adjustment for the driver and passenger and electronically adjustable lumbar support for the driver. There are two memory settings so all I have to adjust after my wife drives the car is the rear view mirror. You can set the climate control for driver only when you're the only one in the car. This saves a little electricity and extends the battery range a bit. The infotainment system is easy to use. And unlike what was erroneously stated in a previous review, it does include Apple Car Play and Android Play. Although you do have to plug it in the the USB port for that. I only use it for times when I want to use Waze (which is becoming pretty much all the time). Otherwise I drop my iPhone onto the wireless charging pad and let the Bluetooth do its thing.
I don't understand people who buy a hybrid or plug in hybrid and then complain about its performance. The Sonata PHEV has plenty of punch when you need it for merging or keeping with the flow of traffic. The rest of the time it's plenty powerful to get you quietly, comfortably, and safely where you want to go. It's a near luxury mid-sized car that gets better fuel economy than a Toyota Corolla or any other econobox. It has a longer electric range than the Prius Prime at about the same price. The cargo space in the trunk is small. But this car is really just a roomy, comfortable commuter car. If you want to lug the kids' soccer equipment around or throw 4 large suitcases in the car on a regular basis get a Prius Prime. But if you just want something to drive the carpool to work and pick up groceries, and look good doing it, get a Sonata PHEV.
Safety
Our experts like the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid models:
- Automatic Emergency Braking
- Sounds an audible warning if a collision with a vehicle ahead of you is imminent and will apply the brakes if you don't respond in time.
- Blind-Spot Detection
- Monitors blind spots and issues a warning if you start to change lanes with another car present.
- Lane Keeping Assist
- Emits an audible and visual warning if you drift outside of your lane and will nudge you back if you don't respond in time.
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Side Impact TestGood
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
- IIHS Small Overlap Front TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front TestGood
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More about the 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid
Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Overview
The Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid is offered in the following submodels: Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Sedan. Available styles include Limited 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A), and 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid 6A). The Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid comes with front wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 6-speed shiftable automatic. The Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid comes with a 5 yr./ 60000 mi. basic warranty, a 5 yr./ unlimited mi. roadside warranty, and a 10 yr./ 100000 mi. powertrain warranty.
What's a good price on a Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid?
Price comparisons for Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid trim styles:
- The Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Base is priced between $29,998 and$29,998 with odometer readings between 23599 and23599 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, VA. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
Which used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrids are available in my area?
Shop Edmunds' car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million vehicles to find a cheap new, used, or certified pre-owned (CPO) 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid for sale near. There are currently 1 used and CPO 2019 Sonata Plug-in Hybrids listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as $29,998 and mileage as low as 23599 miles. Simply research the type of car you're interested in and then select a used car from our massive database to find cheap prew-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the AutoCheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the Used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid.
Can't find a used 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrids you want in your area? Consider a broader search.
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Should I lease or buy a 2019 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid?
Is it better to lease or buy a car? Ask most people and they'll probably tell you that car buying is the way to go. And from a financial perspective, it's true, provided you're willing to make higher monthly payments, pay off the loan in full and keep the car for a few years. Leasing, on the other hand, can be a less expensive option on a month-to-month basis. It's also good if you're someone who likes to drive a new car every three years or so.
Check out Hyundai lease specials
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